M ichael Diercksen, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd.docx

M ichael Diercksen, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd.docx

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  M ichael Diercksen,Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, [email protected] g.rwu.edu,401-254-3175 M atthew DiPlacido, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, [email protected] g.rwu.edu,401-254-3175 Diane Harvey, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, [email protected] rwu.edu, 401-254-3175 Susan Bosco, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, [email protected] rwu.edu, 401-254-3175 ABSTRACT This study examined the use of social media at work. Undergraduate students and professors were surveyed about their use of sites such as Facebook while working. W e also examined the effects of Facebook postings outside of work could jeopardize a position at work. The results from our survey and research concluded that social media is an increasing problem but that there is a growing expectation that monitoring of social media communications by employees will occur. Keywords: social media, employee monitoring
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  INTRODUCTION Today we cannotgo about our everyday lives without encountering some form of social media. The popularity of social media has grown as a result of the rapid changes in technology as computers are now more mobile and can be used virtually anywhere. Companies are increasingly using social media as a new way to reach customers more effectively and to spread news of their activities more rapidly. The ubiquitous use of social media has also brought new challenges to M illennial generation has to Facebook and other social media applications like Twitter and Instagram. In this research project, we examined increasing social media use and its intersection with workplace activities, with a particular focus on the M illennial generation. The use of email and the internet have become more commonplace in organizations and many have enacted policies regarding their use/misuse at work. The use of social media during work hours, particularly when accessed via a personal cell phone, brings a new set of challenges to employers. There are advantages to be gained by using social media for both prospective employees as well as employers. For example, new college graduates searching for work increasingly use sites such as LinkedIn to find potential employers, employers are utilizing social media to open their hiring pool to new applicants in new regions. One of the benefits of LinkedIn is the improved
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  ability to findjobs anywhere in the country and in the world. On the downside, it makes the application process more competitive and adds new hurdles to the hiring process. 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 946 SOCIAL M EDIA USE BY ORGANIZATIONS Social media can be considered a tremendous resource to the business world. For example, it has been credited with helping employees think outside the box [14]. Research has shown that employees who utilize social media are nine percent more productive in the workplace [3]. Sites l together, for example, future wedding ideas) and Instagram (a site dedicated to taking pictures and allowing them to tell an entire story) allow members to instantly see the creative works of a friend and can help the user to brainstorm new ideas. These sites are a valuable resource that can really help spark new and exciting ideas for work. Social media is not only helping employees become more productive; it is allowing them to stay current with market trends and issues important to consumers as well as the general public. By staying informed in these areas, employees are also better prepared to troubleshoot potential setbacks and are more likely to create good public relations through the work they are doing. By identifying the trends, they can then tailor their own work to incorporate them, providing
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  consumers with thesense that they are buying from a company who is diligent in staying current. Currently, about seventy percent of organizations around the world use social media [6]. Studies have found that firm s that incorporate social media as a part of their business operations are most likely to grow faster than the companies who have not yet used it [6]. The key benefit to social media is that it is free. There is no cost to usin Social media is also amazing beneficial marketing tool and, if used properly, can boost a Twitter and more than 1 billion users of Facebook (600 million of whom access it through smart phones) [10].It has been shown that consumers are more willing to buy when they have received consumer reviews and/or recommendations from friends/family; social m edia helps companies to take advantage of this phenomenon [11]. Employers can capitalize on this new market by having employees create company-related By encouraging employees to utilize social media, an organization is not only marketing to a larger audience, but doing it in a way that is trusted and valued more than any other sort of advertisement [2].These sites are not to be taken lightly; there has been a significant power shift in favor of the consumer, as stated by Jonny Spindler (Innovations Director at Abbott M eade Vickers BBDO).
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  SOCIAL M EDIAUSE BY EM PLOYEES AT W ORK Asmore new and existing employees join social media networks it is apparent that, in general, organizations are still adjusting to and evaluating what they perceive to be the positive and negative aspects of social media. Some industries are further along in their understanding of the place of social media at work. For example, in the construction trades, there are concerns for safety [8]. 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 947 During a discussion with a local union pipe fitter, he explained that the union has already taken a stance against social media use during work hours because it introduces variables that put worker also stated that this new policy is an extension of the policy they have for cell phones on the job site (Personal communication, October 10, 2012). Other industries are encountering different issues with social media use and have implemented policies that affect employee morale, rather than safety. KPM G International found that companies have become more open to the idea of allowing social media at the office and that there are greater costs to the organization for not adapting [6]. For example, one study found that employees are much happier with their employers when
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  social media usageis allowed at work [6]. Social media can also help to establish strong bonds among workers by providing them with the ability to better understand those with whom they are working. This social connection could then help improve the working relationship. The improvement could include gaining a better understanding of what motivates the people around them, as well as allowing them to share what motivates them [5]. Having a better understanding of other employees is also important to creating a comfortable social environm ent at the workplace. Employees need to feel that the office can also be a social and fun environment [9]. If relationships are what drive a happy workplace, and increase job satisfaction, it is likely that companies may start to value the use of social media by employees. It is not out of the question that certain jobs may eventually require a certain number welcoming the potential employee may be [9]. And it is not only employees who are beginning to benefit from the implementation of social media, studies have shown that the software needed to sustain these sites is growing into a booming business, and companies are more than willing to purchase the necessary software (Fraser, 2012). Recent data from Forrester Research indicates that the sales of software used to run corporate social networks will grow 61 per cent a year and [1][4]. One major concern that has arisen with regard to ocial
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  media presence andtheir employers and that is invasion of privacy. An employer may claim that what is posted online is not private, but public information. As a result, employees lives outside work are under scrutiny more than ever because of easy access to what they m ay post on the Internet. The lack of privacy on social m edia sites also presents a threat to employees who use that forum to discuss their jobs. Employees who are careless about comments they make regarding the firms risk losing their jobs. For example, this past summer a designer at Nike was in trouble because he insulted Derrick Rose for not wearing Nike gear [7].This statement effectively ended future deals that Nike could have made with Derrick Rose that could have been valued in millions of dollars [7]. Another issue in the workplace related to social media use is its effect on productivity. According to Pavlina, social media use has a negative effect [13]. He calculates productivity using the equation: Productivity = Value / Time. Productivity can be increased by increasing value and decreasing time required to create that value. Social media however, adds time and takes away value. In 2009,a study found that in the U.K employees spend an average of 40 minutes per day on social media sites, or the equivalent of one whole week a year on social 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 948
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  media[12]. The studyalso found 57percent of employees surveyedat1460 offices used the sites forpersonal use while at work. The total time usedcost the firms more than $2.25 billion. RESEARCH QUESTIONS From reviewing the recent information regarding the use of social media by employees, we have developed the following research questions: Research Question 1 Do more individuals consider the use of social media at work to be a distraction or provide a boost to productivity? Research Question 2 Should employers discipline employees for material they post on their social media profiles? M ETHODOLOGY This study used a survey distributed via email and paper. It was approved by the Human Subjects Review Board of the organization. Respondents were solicited through snowball sampling. RESULTS There were a total of 115 responses, virtually all students. The gender breakdown was roughly equal with 52 percent male and 48 percent female. .The vast majority, 94 percent, use social media. Total weekly use of social media was reported as total hoursper week. Responses were broken down as follows:
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  1 to 3hours - 39% 4 to 7 hours-36% 8 or more hours-25% For our first Research Question, we asked a series of questions regarding use of social media behaviors and their impact on work. Responses are in Figure 1 below: FIGURE 1 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Acceptable to be on Facebook at work Is use of social media distracting at work Do you have Facebook open while you complete work? Do you believe social media helps you work more efficiently? No Yes 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 949 Other questions addressed use of social media on phones and opinions about its use at work. Ninety-one of the 115 (79% ) respondents use social media on
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  their cell phone.M ost of the respondents, 87.5 percent,who use social media more than eight hours a week fell into this category. Only five people, however, agreed that it isokay to use social media at work;although 90saidit could sometimes be used for emergencies only. As to whetherthey would accept a job that bans the use of social media at work, 89 of the participants said yes. Another 96 said that they could work nine hours a day without using social media. Responses to questions related to Research Question Two indicated support for employer monitoring of social media use. The first asked whether an employeeshould be fired for excess use ofsocial media. The majority, 73 percent agreed that they should. The second asked whether employees should be judged by their employers on the basis of their social media activities. Again, the majority, 70 percent, found this acceptable. DISCUSSION Based on the data,indications arethat the more a person usessocial media, the less they feel it is a distraction and the reverse is also true. Some of the results are conflicting, especially as they relate to whether social media is a distraction at work. The great majority of respondents who are students in the M illennial generation, the heaviest users of social media, felt that its use was distracting at work, and that it isunacceptable to have Facebook open at work. Equal numbers indicated that they felt social media helped them to work more efficiently.It is difficult to determine whether some answers were driven by social response
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  bias, for example,especially regarding the acceptability of being on Facebook at work.This dichotom y may also reveal awareness that the workplace is not yet a welcome venue for the use of social media, particularly for personal tasks, while acknowledging their inability to resist its use for a long time period during the day. when one considers the often used claim by younger employees that their Facebook account, for example, is private. There is also an acknowledgment that employers have the ability to exercise some control over employee behaviors, even those that take place outside of office hours. It is difficult to determine whether this realization will translate into a change in the ways in which younger employees use social media. RECOM M ENDATIONS Social media use should be regarded as a privilegethat can be taken away An open dialogue should take place with employees, to discuss appropriate use of social media in the workplace. One possible solution would be for the organization to install software that does not block social media, but rather monitors the amount of time it is used. In this way employers can keep employees accountable, but give them some freedom as well. Employees who are on these sites for an excessive amount of timewould be subject to potential disciplinary action. Businesses should begin to embrace social media in the workplace, rather than ban it. Employers
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  can exercise somecontrol over the use of social media at an organization by developing policies 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 950 regarding its use and informing employees about these policies. This action is especially important as younger generations or workers join the employee ranks because they do not recognize social media use as problematic, so they will continue to use it until otherwise informed. Looking ahead,anew problem that the workforce willencounter as a result of increasing social media use is a decline in interpersonal skills. The impact is already seen in the younger generation of workers, who prefer to email colleagues instead of talking with them face-to-face. M ore individuals spend meeting times texting instead of contributing to the conversation in the room. The workforce continues to require people who have the interpersonal skills that enable them to communicate effectively with clients and coworkers. W hether employers will be able to develop these skills by default through restricting social media use remains to be seen. The reality is that while at work, access to social media is nearly always available. The desire to , which was a common comment made by our respondents. Some
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  firms block thesites, but this can actually addto the problem because the social media addict will spend time at work trying to get around the system. This is where the implementation of guidelines on social media etiquette in the work place would be beneficial[8].By addressing the problem and clearly illustrating what is and is not appropriate in the workplace, it will be easier for employees to understand what is expected of them and adjust their social media use accordingly. REFERENCES [1]Brown, V. R. & Vaughn, E. D. (2011).The writing on the (Facebook) wall: The use of social networking sites in hiring decisions. Journal of Business Psychology, 26 (2), 219-225. [2]Consumers Trust Friends and Virtual Strangers the M ost (2013). Nielsen W ire. Retrieved from http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/global- advertising-consumers-trust-real- friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most/ [3]Fahm y, M iral. "Facebook, YouTube at work make better employees." Reuters. Yahoo Tech. April 2, 2009. Retrieved from http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090402/wr_nm/us_work_inter net_tech_life [4]Fraser, D. (2012, August 21). Social M edia in the W orkplace: M aking the M ost of "Social Business" Tools. Randstad Canada News Room.Retrieved October 15, 2012, from http://blog.randstad.ca/news/bid/210182/Social-M edia-in-the-
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  W orkplace-M aking-the-Most-of- Social-Business-Tools [5]Griffin, C. (2011, November 16). How to Use Social M edia to Improve Your Relationship W ith Your Boss. M edia Bullseye. Retrieved from http://blog.customscoop.com/mb/2011/11/how-to-use-social- media-to-improve-your- relationship-with-your-boss.html 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 951 [6]KPM G Study: Emerging M arkets Lead Social M edia Adoption . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/global/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublic ations/press- releases/pages/social-media-adoption.aspx [7]NBA. (2012). Bleacher Report. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1165376- derrick-rose-injury-nike-must-punish-outspoken-employee- after-insensitive-tweet [8]Orlando, B. (n.d.) W hat Are the Dangers of Using Cellular Phones on a Construction W ork Site? Retrieved from :http://www.ehow.com/list_6048795_dangers-phones- construction-work- site.html [9]Quish, R. (2010). Social media: Creating richer relationships in the workplace. People and Strategy, 33(3), 7-8. Retrieved from
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  http://search.proquest.com/docview/763403002?accountid=2513 3 [10]Smith, C. (2012,October 4). Digital M arketing Ramblings...Retrieved from http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/resource-how-many- people-use-the-top-social-media/ [11]Social Retail: Finding, Engaging & Cultivating Today's Connected Consumer. (2012, July 19).Search Engine W atch. Retrieved from http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2192745/Social- Retail-Finding-Engaging-Cultivating-Todays-Connected- Consumer [12]Study:Facebook, Twitter use at work costs big bucks. (2009, Oct 27). Network W orld M iddle East, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/210992871?accountid=2513 3 [13]W hat Is Productivity? (2005). Retrieved from http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/what-is-productivity [14]W inkler, S. (2009, July 2). Are social networks good for job productivity? How Stuff W orks. Retrieved from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social- networking/information/social-networks-and-job- productivity.htm This paper was funded by the at Roger W illiams University 2013 Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Annual M eeting Proceedings April 2013 Page 952
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  Copyright of Proceedingsfor the Northeast Region Decision Sciences Institute (NEDSI) is the property of Northeast Decision Sciences Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. Running head: SUMMARIZE THE TITLE 1 SUMMARIZE THE TITLE 2 Center the Original Title of the Essay on This Line Center Your Name on This Line Saint Leo University
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  This Title Shouldbe the Same as the Title on the Cover Page Begin the introduction here. The introduction serves an important purpose in an academic essay. The introduction should be interesting. It should set the context for the essay, engage the reader, and explain the problem that the essay will address. The introduction should grab the attention of the reader and connect her to the topic. Generally, the last statement of the introduction should be the thesis statement. The thesis statement explains the purpose and focus of the essay. The thesis statement can begin with two words: “This essay…..” Discussion of the Topic Introduce the topic and explain the purpose of the research. What problem is being investigated or analyzed? To whom is this issue important? Why? Define and discuss key terms or concepts; explain the significance of these concepts or any variations in the definitions. Research Methodology Discuss the way the data were collected and analyzed. Did the author use a quantitative or qualitative approach? How were data collected? (Interviews, surveys, questionnaires…). Who participated in the study? How many people? Discuss the demographics (age, gender, location, ethnicity, title/rank). Results, Findings, and Conclusions Summarize the results, findings, and conclusions of the study. Discuss why these results are important. To whom are these results important? Why? Implications for Professional Development After considering the relevance and significance of this research, explain how the conclusions relate to your professional development. What did you learn from this study? Conclusion Provide a brief paragraph to conclude, contextualize, and summarize your essay. References
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  Stoner, C.R., Stephens,P., & McGowan, M.K. (2009). Connectivity and work dominance: Panacea or pariah? Business Horizons, 52(1), 67-78.